This invention relates generally to food preparation services and, more particularly, to cutting board systems that include a replaceable, reversible, or disposable cutting surface that can be selectively securely supported by a base and/or a use indicator associated with the cutting surfaces and configured to provide an indication as to a degree of degradation of the working surface associated with the respective cutting surface.
Cutting boards are well known in the art as being useful in food preparation operations. Cutting boards are commonly configured to maintain the integrity of the cutting edge of cutlery while protecting the underlying counter surfaces from both the mess associated with the food preparation activities as well as damage by interaction with the cutlery. Cutting boards are provided in a variety of sizes, shapes, and configurations that are commonly configured for suitability with an intended operation or food preparation sequence.
Some cutting board configurations can present significant issues with respect to the development of bacteria upon the cutting surface. That is, during use, cut marks and other abrasions can render the cutting surface susceptible to less than desirable cleaning and/or removal of foodstuffs between uses. Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention is to provide a cutting board with a robust cutting surface that can better resist penetration by cutting utensils.
In an attempt to mitigate propagation and/or generation of bacteria associated with use of such cutting boards, others provide cutting board systems that are configured for single use or otherwise disposable when the cutting surface is penetrated. Such configurations are less than economical as a majority of the material associated with formation of the cutting board remains unaffected by degradation of the cutting surface. Still further, as alluded to above, current cutting boards, particularly when used in commercial kitchen environments, require frequent replacement when cutting grooves or gouges are deep enough to become difficult to clean or become more susceptible to harboring of bacterial contamination.
Depending on the degree, severity, or number of grooves in a cutting surface, continued use of a degraded cutting surface can result in a violation of many applicable health codes and can often result in disciplinary action by health inspectors associated with commercial kitchen operations. Although many operators maintain their cutting boards through re-surfacing or planning processes in an effort to extend the usable life of the cutting board in compliance with applicable food health inspector criteria, frequent cutting board maintenance and/or replacement can be quite expensive. Accordingly, another aspect of the present invention is directed to providing a cutting board system that includes a replaceable cutting surface configured to removably cooperate with an underlying base portion or base that is configured to provide a desired rigidity to the cutting board system and accommodate disposal of only the more limited structure associated with the cutting surface.
A still further consideration to suitable cutting board use and maintenance is the determination as to when degradation of the cutting surface necessitates service and/or replacement of the cutting board or surface to mitigate food health code violations and bacterial generation and/or propagation. Too frequent resurfacing or replacement of cutting boards and/or cutting surfaces can increase operational costs and/or detract from the useable life associated with suitable use of the underlying cutting board system whereas insufficient replacement and/or resurfacing can result to unacceptable or intolerable contamination of food stuffs. Accordingly, there is a further need for a cutting board system that includes an indicator configured to provide an indication that resurfacing and/or replacement of the cutting surface is necessary or otherwise desired.
Accordingly, a need exists for a cutting board system that is relatively inexpensive to manufacturer or produce, easy to service and/or maintain in a useable condition, provides an indication as to the relative degree of degradation of the cutting surface, and solves other problems associated with the existing configurations.